YOLT Dubbing?

Was Kissy Suzuki's voice dubbed? I was watching the dvd this weekend and her voice just didn't sound quite natural. Was she dubbed?

Comments

  • Walther PPKWalther PPK Posts: 180MI6 Agent
    Yes, Mie Hama (Kissy) was dubbed, as were Akiko Wakabayashi (AKI), and Tetsuro Tamba (Tiger Tanaka).

    This was largely due to the fact that the girls English languge skills were underdevloped.
    I don't remember who voice artists were off the top
    of my head, but I remember that they had dubbed other Bond girls in the past. Tanba by the way was dubbed by actor Robert Rietty who also dubbed the voice of Largo in Thunderball.
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 37,860Chief of Staff
    Kissy was dubbed by Nikki van der Zyl (variant spellings depending on source), who worked on many Bond films supplying the voices for a wide assortment of female characters. A partial list of characters dubbed by her would include Honey Ryder (indeed she claims to have performed ALL the female voices for DN other than Moneypenny and one receptionist), Jill Masterson, Domino, Kissy and Solitaire (some lines, not all) but there are many others all the way up to FYEO. She has her own web site, listing her work on Bond and other films (eg the Harry Palmer movies).

    There is a story to the effect that, after revoicing yet another character in an early Bond film, Nikki asked Terence Young for an actual part in the next one. His sad reply was, "Nikki, you wouldn't stop the traffic."

    A very talented lady- perhaps the best tribute to such an artist is that so much of their work remains unnoticed in the final film.
  • HardyboyHardyboy Posts: 5,906Chief of Staff
    Barbel wrote:
    There is a story to the effect that, after revoicing yet another character in an early Bond film, Nikki asked Terence Young for an actual part in the next one. His sad reply was, "Nikki, you wouldn't stop the traffic."

    How ungallant! I remember seeing a picture of Ms. van der Syl/Zyl and thinking she wasn't bad-looking at all. But, anyway, you can hear Tetsuro Tamba's real voice in the bathing scene, when he addresses the girls in Japanese. The voices sound absolutely nothing alike, so it's kind of a bizarre little moment.
    Vox clamantis in deserto
  • Sir Hillary BraySir Hillary Bray College of ArmsPosts: 2,174MI6 Agent
    Hardyboy wrote:
    But, anyway, you can hear Tetsuro Tamba's real voice in the bathing scene, when he addresses the girls in Japanese. The voices sound absolutely nothing alike, so it's kind of a bizarre little moment.
    Yes, that always cracks me up. The whole film, he has a booming voice like Largo (little wonder, as Robert Reitty dubbed them both) except for that one moment, when his real (and much quieter) voice is heard.
    Hilly...you old devil!
  • Willie GarvinWillie Garvin Posts: 1,412MI6 Agent
    edited June 2007
    From what I've read,Harry Saltzman was deathly affaid of accents, and always insisted that anyone with anything resembling a discernable accent be considered for "revoicing"--as Eon called dubbing.The amount of dubbing in the early movies is really quite astonishing.Even Claudine Auger,whose English was perfect, was dubbed because Harry thought her voice was somehow too deep.It really wasn't then, and it isn't now--but Harry thought it was.

    And there's Luciana Paluzzi.Had she not already established herself in several internationally poular motion pictures and also on TV(including the American spy series "Five Fingers"-in which she was one of the stars)prior to appearing in Thunderball--I've no doubt there'd have been an attempt to dub her,too.Had that happened,we'd have missed hearing her charming accent--and in my opinion,that would've been wrong in every possible way.
  • JennyFlexFanJennyFlexFan Posts: 1,497MI6 Agent
    Yes, Mie Hama (Kissy) was dubbed, as were Akiko Wakabayashi (AKI), and Tetsuro Tamba (Tiger Tanaka).

    This was largely due to the fact that the girls English languge skills were underdevloped.
    I don't remember who voice artists were off the top
    of my head, but I remember that they had dubbed other Bond girls in the past. Tanba by the way was dubbed by actor Robert Rietty who also dubbed the voice of Largo in Thunderball.

    Aki was dubbed? I thought her English was very good, because they were going to make her Kissy instead of Hama, but then Hama threatened to kill herself so she was sent back to being Aki. Could someone please explain that story to me, I don't think I have it quite right.
  • TOOTSTOOTS Posts: 114MI6 Agent
    "DID YOU KNOW?
    George Baker's voice was dubbed by George Lazenby. Both the Producers and Peter Hunt agreed that Baker's thick Sicilian accent did not quite fit with that of a knighted Sable Basilisk of the Royal College of Arms.

    But advantage was nonetheless taken of Baker's voice which was perfect for overdubbing the broken Gaelic of Scotsman, Gabrielle Ferzetti.

    And the over-dubbing didn't end there, Ilse Steppat was dubbed by Yuri Borienko; Yuri Borienko by Martine Beswick; Diana Rigg by someone Cubby Broccoli had met in the pub earlier that afternoon and, in the confusion, Telly Savalas dubbed himself Sir Telly Savalas and walked off the set to claim his legal rights and privileges. "

    Quote from "Trivia Of Doubtful Veracity" http://www.ohmss.ohmss-007.com/ohmss/ohmss.html
  • Sir Hillary BraySir Hillary Bray College of ArmsPosts: 2,174MI6 Agent
    edited June 2007
    TOOTS wrote:
    "DID YOU KNOW?
    George Baker's voice was dubbed by George Lazenby. Both the Producers and Peter Hunt agreed that Baker's thick Sicilian accent did not quite fit with that of a knighted Sable Basilisk of the Royal College of Arms.

    But advantage was nonetheless taken of Baker's voice which was perfect for overdubbing the broken Gaelic of Scotsman, Gabrielle Ferzetti.

    And the over-dubbing didn't end there, Ilse Steppat was dubbed by Yuri Borienko; Yuri Borienko by Martine Beswick; Diana Rigg by someone Cubby Broccoli had met in the pub earlier that afternoon and, in the confusion, Telly Savalas dubbed himself Sir Telly Savalas and walked off the set to claim his legal rights and privileges. "

    Quote from "Trivia Of Doubtful Veracity" http://www.ohmss.ohmss-007.com/ohmss/ohmss.html
    :)) :)) :))
    I have spent many hours perusing that site...one of the more under-rated corners of the web, IMO.
    Hilly...you old devil!
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 37,860Chief of Staff
    Aki was dubbed? I thought her English was very good, because they were going to make her Kissy instead of Hama, but then Hama threatened to kill herself so she was sent back to being Aki. Could someone please explain that story to me, I don't think I have it quite right.

    When the casting for YOLT was announced, the Japanese press made a great deal out of the two girls selected for the two leading lady roles particularly as one would be "married" to Bond during the course of the plot. Later, however, once original Aki Mie Hama's difficulties with English were fully realised EON began making plans for how to solve the problem- recasting was an option. Depending on which source is quoted, Hama apparently became very depressed with the perceived dishonour and may have been suicidal. Tactful intervention from Tetsuro Tamba made her views clear to the producers and any plans for dropping the actress were, er, dropped. Since Kissy had less dialogue than Aki and Akiko Wakabayashi was coping better with English than Hama the roles were exchanged, satisfying honour.
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